Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-15

cred, knowing the folly of the question
before it left her lips.
John shook his head. "When did he
evsr give up, Hannah" he answered, half
bitterly, then stopped and kissed the
quivering mouth. Good bye, little girl;
I'll come back to you tonight if wind
and water can bring me" he said, lig htly,
and turned away to his disappearing par
ent on the sand below.
'It's a fool trip" growled Danl the
stout, to Steve the tall, as the frail little
craft went rocking over the boisterous
waves. II give doubt If they ever git
back again"
can ali along of our DARN him. said
the downcast Stephen.
Darkness came early that winter day,
and by 5 o'clock even young eyes could
see no longer.
Hannah folded her sewing at last, and
pinned her shawl tightly around her.
Mother, I shall just run down to Mrs.
Krell's TO see if the boat is in" she said,
shyly, turning the handle of the door as
she spoke.
ssTo Krell'sw The widow rose to her
feet with establishment. "Why, Hannah,
where is your self-respect? Going to
those that have scorned you in every way
they'll turn you from the door for your
pains!" she expostulated, Indignantly.
81 am going, nevertheless" persisted
the girl, with faint little laugh. 81
must know if John is safe," and the clos
ing of the door shut her out from furth
er argument
"Why, Lor bless us! It's only Mis-
Durants Hannah" cried Mrs. Timothy,
in disappointment as the door opened
to the girls hand, too anxious even to
| express her disfavor. 81 made out it
would be Tim and John for sure"
"Then the boat isn't in?" said her
visitor, dismayed at the fulfillment OF her
fears.
Mrs. Timothy pursed up her mouth
with a look of solemn foreboding, and
shook Der head disconsolately.
"Indeed 'tisn't. An the storm off shore
is bad that the men can't get down to
look fer her. But set by, Hannah; I'll be
glad enough o. your comp'ny till they
come" mot1oning the girl to a seat, with
unusual hospitality.
| So they waited in silence for hours, it
seemed to Hannah, every nerve and sense
strained to catch some token of the alb
sent ones. The wife's ear was the first to
through the gate.
"Here they bel" she cried joyfully, and
before the echo of her voice died away
| Timothy Krell entered. White-faced as
g. man of snow his frozen garments rat
| thing about him, and a look of blankness
in his eyes like one that has sight and yet
is blind. Striding to the ire,he leaned his
head on toe wooden shelf and stood there,
shiverihg and trembling as if with NOR
tai cold.
The women gazed at on another with
pale cheeks. What might it mean, this
solitary man. Where was his son?
And yet his wife dared not break the
dreadful silence.
Suddenly beside him uprose q form,
| that to the wretched man seemed an
avenging angel, with wide, dark eyes full
of reproach
''Where is my John?" questioned Han
nah, laying her hand on his bent shoulder
But, with a cry of horror, he shook it off,
and fed to the room above, barring the
door against friend and foe.
The girl stood as he left her, her face
turned upward, listening. keener blast
of wind struck the house and whistled
| through the shutters with a sound that
was almost human.
"Hush!' she said, with warning, lift
ed finger. "My John is calling ne! I'm
coming, dear, I'm coming!' and SO went
out in the blackness and tumult.
All that terrible night, while the wind
howled and the water roared, the old man
paced up and down his chamber, the
noise of his footsteps sounding now loud
now low. In the room beneath, with
plying neighbors trying to soothe her,
his wife mourned her only son; while out
In the wind and storm with lantern and
torch, the men searched for the living or
dead.
The storm died away to far off wall;
one by one the Pickering, yellow flames
of the lanterns grew dim in the light of
coming day "a day SO bright and peace
| full, that before its beauty the memory
of the night might have faded like some
/ fearful dream, only for the quiet burden
| which the searchers, with uncovered heads
bore reverently from the beach. Cast
high on the frozen sands, in the crimson
| light of morning, they had found Krell's
John, robed with more dignity in death,
| poor lad, than he ever had owned IN life;
and close beside him, with her head on
his silent breast, lay Hannah. Had she
| found him SO on the sand, or had the
waves cast them together as if in rebuke
to parents and kindred? None may say;
for the cold had set a seal on Hannah's
| lips, and so on her lovers not to be
| broken by human skill.
StornIhaven never knew the true secret
Of that night; it could only piece out
! fragments from the upturned boat which
drifted in days later; and from the dis
! jointed words Of the man who sat crouch
ing over the fire at Krell's cottage. "To
drown in sight Of land. One shall be
! taken and the other ieft!' over and over
| he murmured to himself, till death mercl-
fully came one day and stopped the work
ing of the poor, wandering brain; and
Timothy Krell's stubborn, willfal, re-
morseful life on earth was ended.
But the mothers still lived on. Women
widowed and made childless by the sea,
were plentiful in Stormhaven, and sym
| pathy there was not given to much out
ward demonstration. Yet, in after years,
when the coast history was reeled forth
by some ancient mariner for the enlight-
eminent of the summer guest, and the
| story of Krell's John was told in its turn,
tbo bicforiop uouId cIoca ssyVou